Page 592 - of-human-bondage-

The moment he left the room Philip turned to Mildred
angrily.
‘Why on earth did you ask him to dine with us?’
‘I couldn’t help myself. It would have looked so funny to
say nothing when he said he wasn’t doing anything.’
‘Oh, what rot! And why the hell did you ask him if he was
doing anything?’
Mildred’s pale lips tightened a little.
‘I want a little amusement sometimes. I get tired always
being alone with you.’
They heard Griffiths coming heavily down the stairs, and
Philip went into his bed-room to wash. They dined in the
neighbourhood in an Italian restaurant. Philip was cross
and silent, but he quickly realised that he was showing to
disadvantage in comparison with Griffiths, and he forced
himself to hide his annoyance. He drank a good deal of
wine to destroy the pain that was gnawing at his heart, and
he set himself to talk. Mildred, as though remorseful for
what she had said, did all she could to make herself pleasant
to him. She was kindly and affectionate. Presently Philip
began to think he had been a fool to surrender to a feel-
ing of jealousy. After dinner when they got into a hansom
to drive to a music-hall Mildred, sitting between the two
men, of her own accord gave him her hand. His anger van-
ished. Suddenly, he knew not how, he grew conscious that
Griffiths was holding her other hand. The pain seized him
again violently, it was a real physical pain, and he asked
himself, panic-stricken, what he might have asked himself
before, whether Mildred and Griffiths were in love with one

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